Accessibility News October 1,2011 Update

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In this Issue

*The McGuinty Watch
*Tim Hudak Says He is Committed to Fulfilling Provisions of the Disabilities Act, But Still Hasn’t Clearly Promised Not to Slash Regulations Enacted Under It
*National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire
*AODA: Who Let the Dogs Out? Saying ‘Yes’ to All Service Animals
*Human Rights Cases Settled as Transit Providers Offer More Accessible Services
*Disturbing Silence From Hudak on Accessibility
*Local School Doesn’t Meet Accessibility Requirements for Election
*Wheelchair Users Can’t Always Roll Onto the Rocket
*Justice Department Reaches Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement with Wells Fargo

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Disability Awareness Consultants

We teach people who aren’t disabled how to work with people who are, and we do site-audits for barrier-free design! Visit us on the web at: www.disabilityawarenessconsultants.com .

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ARTICLES:

The McGuinty Watch

To make it easier for you to see how the McGuinty Government has treated the Disabled Community over it’s Terms we’ve compiled some relevant articles for you to view

As they become available we’ll post more so check back once in a while before Election time.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?page_id=928

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Tim Hudak Says He is Committed to Fulfilling Provisions of the Disabilities Act, But Still Hasn’t Clearly Promised Not to Slash Regulations Enacted Under It

With just over a week before Election Day, TV Ontario’s veteran affairs journalist Steve Paikin got Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader Tim Hudak to break his radio silence on this election’s disability accessibility issue.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=1423

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National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire

The National Federation of the Blind commented today on the release of Amazon’s new Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind.

Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=2290

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AODA: Who Let the Dogs Out? Saying ‘Yes’ to All Service Animals

For 21 years we have had a provincial law that many people are still not aware of. A service dog should not be such an issue when discussing new rights under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service. What is new in the standards is that all service animals are allowed on public places unless excluded by another law, usually for health and safety reasons.

The cities of Hamilton, Greater Sudbury and Thunder Bay and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) have settled three human rights cases at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The OHRC filed the complaints in 2009 to increase accessibility for riders with vision disabilities by ensuring the calling out of all transit stops.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=1420

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Disturbing Silence From Hudak on Accessibility

When asked to ensure the government doesn’t use our tax dollars to erect new disability barriers, the Conservatives are silent. They don’t agree to any action to make elections accessible to the more than one million voters with disabilities, such as measures PCs themselves proposed in 2010. The Conservatives won’t promise steps they pledged in the 2007 election, like reviewing Ontario laws for accessibility barriers, and exploring strategies to ensure school kids and relevant professionals get accessibility education.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=1416

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Local School Doesn’t Meet Accessibility Requirements for Election

Nottawa residents are being told to go to Ravenna to vote on Oct. 6 after Elections Ontario ruled their traditional polling station no longer meets the province’s accessibility requirements.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/?p=1412

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Wheelchair Users Can’t Always Roll Onto the Rocket

Jordan Lavoie was excited to ride one of the new Toronto Rocket trains recently, but was disappointed to find out he couldn’t wheel his chair onto the train.

The agreement resolves numerous ADA complaints filed by individuals who are deaf, are hard of hearing or have speech disabilities who allege that Wells Fargo would not do business with them over the phone using a telecommunications relay service. Instead, the individuals were directed to call a TTY/TDD
line that asked them to leave a message, which went unanswered.

Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/?p=2287

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